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It seems that I find myself in disagreement with two writers I respect: Jason Mankey, and, to a degree, John Halstead. Their stance certainly appears to be the common consensus; but I believe that Pagan temples are not only a damn fine idea, but that they are important and necessary. These are my reasons.

Lawrence Wright touched on the early connection between Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and Jack Parsons, who was involved in a "black magic cult". The group he is talking about is my fraternity, Ordo Templi Orientis.

Bury everything I've made and very little of my industry will survive a thousand years to be studied by archaeologists apart from a little bit of pottery. I'm a textiles person and a painter. But here we have a guy who works with metal and gears who gets it. While that's not my art, I have a very deep appreciation for the minds of makers in all the arts. Athene is software; Hephaestos is hardware. When both function together, they are more than the sum of their parts.

We're allowed to disagree, we're allowed to be curious, we're allowed to have opinions, and we don't have to be the same. We come together because we are different and we depart from each other strengthened with knowledge and a very real sense of community.

My own beliefs, including my Unitarianism, Universalism, and Paganism, are the direct result of being a mother. In many ways my spiritual journey began when my sons were very young and my love for them seemed to stand in stark contrast with that of the evangelical patriarchal god of my youth...

About Us

Beyond the Charge and Rede.

Paganism today is constantly evolving and growing. Wicca has evolved into myriad strains, and the broader Pagan movement has built upon and expanded beyond Wicca and Witchcraft. Several Druid traditions are thriving, and the old ceremonial magick lodges like the Golden Dawn and Ordo Templi Orientis have seen a resurgence since their original heydays. The revival of ancient paganism has spurred incredible growth in the Heathen, Hellenic, Celtic Reconstructionism and religio Romana communities. Unbroken traditions of indigenous religions such as Vodou, Santeria, and African Traditional Religions have a voice in the world religious community like never before.

It's a fascinating time to be Pagan. How do Dianic Witches work with Hellenismos polytheists? How do Heathens build community with Druids? Has the time for temples returned? Is practicing magic, or magick, an important part of your Pagan spirituality? Does the strength of our communities lie in our non-traditional forms of organization? How do our theologies embrace gay, lesbian, queer and transgender Pagans? Can a genuinely new Paganism thrive? Is reviving the religions of the ancients even compatible with modern life? How do we create a pluralist community embracing polytheist, animist, pantheist, panentheist, monotheist, duotheist, henotheists and atheist Pagans? How do we express solidarity with Native American spirituality, Hinduism and Shinto without crossing the line of cultural appropriation? Should we raise our children in our faiths, or allow them to choose their own path? Can Pagans evangelize (spread the good news of our traditions) and not prosetylize? Are the terms pagan and witch still useful? How do we overcome the idea that anything "pagan" is morally and ethically bankrupt? How do we make our voices heard as religious minorities?

Here at Patheos Pagan we're committed to exploring diverse views on Paganism in all it's diversity, from British Traditional Witchcraft in Brazil to the thriving communities of the Bay Area and Paganistan to the Mari people of Russia. There are a lot of Pagans out there, and each of them have a wealth of opinions. There is a lot to explore beyond Wicca 101. I hope you join us on the journey!

Patheos World Religions Library

Daily Horoscope

Tuesday, Mar 31, 2015 We're determined to maintain some semblance of normalcy after Mars shifts from impulsive Aries to sensible Taurus midday. We get another blast of practicality when the Moon enters earthy Virgo at 2:12 pm EDT. Nevertheless, it's still nearly impossible to keep our feet on the ground because energetic Mars forms otherworldly aspects with philosophical Jupiter and surreal Neptune. Ultimately, we float into imaginative realms no matter what we do.